By Peace Udugba
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has stressed that interoperable customs systems across African countries are essential for the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Customs Modernisation Project.
Adeniyi made the remark on Wednesday in Lagos during the signing of a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement between the AfCFTA Secretariat and Bergmans Security to kick-start the AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project. The signing ceremony was held on the sidelines of the Digital Trade Forum 2026.
According to the Customs boss, the absence of harmonised technology across customs administrations on the continent remains one of the biggest obstacles to the effective implementation of the AfCFTA.
“We are indeed delighted because one of the major obstacles that we have faced in this journey of implementing the AfCFTA is the interoperability of our systems. All Customs administrations cannot operate at the same level, but when we have interoperability, it becomes easier for us all to connect to one system and facilitate trade,” Adeniyi said.
He also welcomed the selection of Bergmans Security to lead the project, describing it as a significant milestone for Nigeria’s customs modernisation efforts and a testament to the country’s achievements in digital transformation.
“We are delighted that a Nigerian company has been given this opportunity to extend what it has been doing in Nigeria to the rest of Africa, enabling us to enhance trade facilitation and accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA,” he added.
Earlier, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, said the Secretariat adopted Nigeria’s customs modernisation model after witnessing the country’s success in deploying digital technologies that have improved revenue generation and operational efficiency.
According to Mene, the partnership with Bergmans Security is expected to support the Secretariat’s vision of establishing a modern and interoperable customs system across Africa.
“Today, Nigeria is already benefiting from the deployment of these technologies. From our perspective, the continent has a great deal to gain from the model introduced here in Nigeria. That is why we signed the agreement today. We believe the partnership with Bergmans Security will help us achieve our objective of creating a continental, modern and interoperable customs system that will enable businesses across Africa to benefit from an expanded market,” he said.
The AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project is expected to strengthen customs cooperation among member states through harmonised digital platforms, improve trade facilitation, enhance revenue collection and accelerate the full implementation of the continental free trade agreement by creating a more efficient and integrated trading environment.
